The Disney Story: Chronicling the Man, the Mouse and the Parks

Attention, all Disney Fans! Do you enjoy reading about the Disney theme parks? Perhaps you’re enamored with the man who was Walt Disney? Maybe you’re just plain crazy for Mickey Mouse and the Disney big-screen features? No need to order your serving of Disney history and knowledge a la carte anymore.

Welcome to The Disney Story, a decade-by-decade look back on the man, the mouse, and the theme parks. From Mickey Mouse’s debut at the Colony Theatre in November 1928 to the opening of Shanghai Disneyland in 2016—and everything in between—finally, the world’s greatest storyteller has their story told!

In addition to reliving Disney’s most memorable moments, there are numerous interesting and lesser-known stories that will expand your Disney knowledge and give you a fresh perspective on your favorite Disney topic.

Perhaps you’re familiar with some of the Disney milestones covered in the book, but how about a few other notable stories:

• Have you ever heard of Disney by the Sea? This was the working name for the ninety-two-acre beachfront tract of land east of Walt Disney World. Disney purchased the property in the early 1970s with the intention of offering a beach experience for those visiting Walt Disney World.
  

• Have you ever wondered about the story behind those legendary Mickey ears that millions of people wear at the Disney parks? Who invented them?

• Which four movies did the minds at Pixar sketch out on paper napkins during one lunch in the summer of 1994? These movies turned out to be some of the studio’s greatest hits.

• Did you know that in 1937 at the Hollywood premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the movie stars of the day paid over five dollars to see the film?
  

• What role did Disney’s Silly Symphonies play in the movie The Wizard of Oz?
  

• How did a group of legendary Disney animators become known as the Nine Old Men?

• Did you know that during the 1990s, Disney was going to sponsor the country’s first nationwide lottery?

•  Ever hear of Mickey’s Kitchen? It was Disney’s healthy fast-food restaurant experiment.

• Whatever happened to Disney’s America—the theme park Disney planned for Virginia in the 1990s?

• Which holiday had Japan never celebrated until Disney introduced it at their theme park?

• Which A-list movie star turned down a role in Toy Story? He later accepted a monster of a role a few years later.
  

• Which world leader was supposedly buried with his Mickey Mouse watch?

• Why was the FBI interested in EPCOT’s World Showcase after it debuted?

The Disney Story is more than just a timeline of Disney events and a collection of interesting stories such as the ones above. It’s a vehicle and guidebook that can be used to travel back in time and read about your favorite Disney subjects via an interactive bibliography on the book’s companion website.

Disney’s ninety-year journey is all here in one volume, complete with informative stories and tidbits about the theme parks, movies, and Walt himself. Revel in the remarkable innovations and legendary Disney magic that make the company the premiere name in entertainment today.